Fulfilling Our Callingsby Miriam Caldwell | More from this Blogger 27 Apr 2006 09:20 PM It is difficult to find the balance between fulfilling your calling and letting your calling consume all of your time. As members of the church we will all have the opportunity to serve in some capacity at some point. Callings are blessings; they give us a chance to learn and to grow. There are callings which everyone sees such as ward chorister, or ones that are behind the scenes such as compassionate service leader. Each calling is important. I have had the opportunity to serve in a variety of callings. The callings have blessed me as I have served those around me. When I was coming back from a short period of inactivity in high school, I was called as a Primary teacher to the eight-year olds. My class was full of rambunctious boys. They tried to climb out of the windows, and jumped off the chairs. I was able to get their attention using a variety of activities. We had a basketball I rolled to whomever was allowed to answer the next question. My blessing was being able to go to each boy's baptism, and see the basic principles of the gospel in action. As I have served in each of the organizations, I have learned the importance of each organization. I have also learned the amount of work that goes into each calling. Along with a calling can come the pressure of having the perfect lesson or centerpiece. I think of the scene from "The R.M." in which the teacher of the Relief Society has a twenty-eight-page handout, and beautiful and very elaborate centerpiece. It is important to take the time to prepare your lesson, and visual aides are helpful, but we need to make sure that we are not allowing our callings to consume the time that we should be spending with our families. What have you done to find the right balance while still fulfilling your calling? Learn more about Miriam Caldwell  Miriam is a SAHM mom of three children. She has a daughter who is seven, and two sons, four and two. She loves being a parent and spending time with her children. Relevantlds tags User Comments stacy115928 (5) 02 Jan 2009 08:24 PMNursery I've been teaching little ones for awhile now, my class of 12 to 15 will shrink this next Sunday, now that it is 2009 to about 3 or 4. I think the hardest part of my calling are members who say things like "Wow, you must really enjoy your calling, it must be fun to baby-sit for two hours." Or "You get to have snacks, and play - you are so lucky." Nursery is a hard calling, and very challenging. I'm teaching my class how to sit and listen to a story so they are ready for primary, I wipe tears and noses when they miss their parents, wiping faces after snacks. I pick up tons of toys, organize and re-organize the closet, vacuum the floor, hunt down parents when all else fells, wipe down tables, empty the trash bin, shop for snacks (keeping allergies in mind), plan a lesson, read stories, teach songs, stack chairs, plan ahead for possible escapees, wash hands, I usually wait for at least one wayward parent to come to nursery 15 minutes and sometimes longer after church is over, and much more. Every single week. I'm not complaining, I'm explaining - Nursery really isn't about babysitting, it is the most challenging, and actually the most entertaining calling I have ever had. Some Sundays I come home exhausted, and I go take a nap. Other Sundays I come home and can't help but laugh as I recall the little funny things the little ones do. I guess my message is - The next time you see your nursery leader, think twice before remarking on "the easy job." Give a compliment instead! kellymiller (10) 04 Jan 2009 04:17 PMI also had a small nursery today. I was amazed how much talking they were doing. With the older children gone- They all of a sudden grew up. It is an amazing process to watch. P.S. isn't the new manual the sweetist! They are getting a precious lesson.  Miriam Caldwell (8030) 06 Jan 2009 08:52 PMThanks for both serving in nursery. I have one son who just moved out, and another one that has been in for six months. It was strange dropping him off with the number of children cut in half. There were only 12 kids instead of 24, but the Sunbeam class is huge! I think they will need to find another room. Community Tags church, callings, lds, mormon Discuss this article
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